Although S. Fowler Wright did not specialize in science fiction or fantasy--he wrote detective fiction and historical novels, as well--perhaps the most important part of his voluminous output is the fraction of it devoted to the fantastic. Within this field he is noteworthy for his particular worldview: in contrast with the more optimistic assessments of human nature and progress offered by near contemporaries such as H. G. Wells and by later science-fiction writers, Wright's voice was one of caution, if not alarm, about what human beings would do with technological changes and better-organized social structures. For the most part, he attempted to convey such ideas through fiction that most resembled some of the popular styles of writing in early-twentieth-century Britain.

Sydney Fowler Wright was born on 6 January 1874 in Birmingham, England. His family were devoted Protestants--his father was a Baptist lay minister, and one of his sisters was a...